Nitric oxide treatment

Abstract

The invention is a method and apparatus for treatment in which nitric oxide is supplied from a source to a patient for inhalation incorporating a regulator to control the flow of nitric oxide from the source to the patient, a monitoring apparatus to monitor the patient's respiration, and a controller to cause the regulator to permit the egress of a very short pulse of nitric oxide of a known, predetermined volume at a predetermined time during the patient's inhalation.

I claim: 
     
       1. An apparatus for carrying out the treatment of a patient with nitric oxide in connection with one of a lung disease or condition of the type that can be treated by the administration of gaseous nitric oxide by inhalation, the apparatus comprising: means for supplying gaseous nitric oxide from a source thereof to the patient substantially free of any respiratory gas for inhalation thereby, the supply means incorporating regulator means to control the egress of nitric oxide from the source;   means to monitor the patient's respiration; and   control means for controlling the regulator to cause the egress from the source of a very short pulse of nitric oxide of a known, predetermined duration at a predetermined instant during an inhalation, the pulse having a duration less than a duration of the inhalation, whereby the nitric oxide is delivered specifically to the site of interest in the patient's lung.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which includes the nitric oxide source wherein the nitric oxide is in admixture with an inert gas. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the source is a container of nitric oxide/nitrogen mixture under pressure, and contains from 100 ppm to 10 ppm nitric oxide in nitrogen. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: a face mask; and   a pipe coupled between the source and the face mask for providing the nitric oxide to the patient.   
     
     
       5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the nitric oxide is fed to the patient in pulses of from 5 to 50 millisecond duration. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the patient's respiration comprises a series of inhalations and exhalations and the control means controls the regulator means to permit the egress of the very short pulse of nitric acid at the start of each inhalation. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the means to monitor detects air pressure changes in the patient's respiration. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the patient's respiration comprises a series of inhalations and exhalations and the control means controls the regulator means to permit the egress of the very short pulse of nitric acid towards the end of each inhalation. 
     
     
       9. A method for treatment of a patient with nitric oxide in connection with a condition of the type that can be treated by the administration of gaseous nitric oxide by inhalation, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring the patient's respiration;   administering nitric oxide to the patient at a concentration sufficient to have a desired therapeutic effect intermittently and in very short pulses of known, predetermined duration less than a duration of the patient's respiration and substantially free of any respiratory gas at a specified instant in the patient's respiration as appropriate to treat the condition.   
     
     
       10. A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the respiration comprises a series of inhalations and exhalations and wherein the instant is at the beginning of each inhalation. 
     
     
       11. A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the respiration comprises a series of inhalations and exhalations and wherein the instant is towards the end of each inhalation. 
     
     
       12. A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the nitric oxide is in an admixture with an inert carrier. 
     
     
       13. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein the nitric oxide is in an admixture with nitrogen in a concentration of 100 ppm to 10 ppm nitric oxide to nitrogen. 
     
     
       14. A method as set forth in claim 13 wherein the very short pulses are 5 to 50 milliseconds in duration. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus for treatment of a patient with nitric oxide comprising: a source of gaseous nitric oxide;   a regulator coupled to the source to control the flow of the nitric oxide from the source to the patient;   a monitor for monitoring the patient's respiration; and   control means responsive to the monitor for controlling the regulator to cause the flow from the source of a very short pulse of nitric oxide of a known, predetermined duration less than a duration of the patient's respiration and at a predetermined instant during the patient's respiration, whereby the nitric oxide is delivered specifically to the site of interest in the patient's lung substantially free of any respiratory gas.   
     
     
       16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein the nitric oxide is in admixture with an inert gas. 
     
     
       17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein the nitric oxide is in an admixture with nitrogen in a concentration of 100 ppm to 10 ppm nitric oxide to nitrogen. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 further comprising: a face mask; and   a pipe coupled between the source and the face mask for providing the nitric oxide to the patient.   
     
     
       19. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein the very short pulse is from 5 to 50 milliseconds in duration. 
     
     
       20. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein the patient's respiration comprises a series of inhalations and exhalations and the control means controls the regulator means to permit the egress of the very short pulse of nitric acid at the start of an inhalation. 
     
     
       21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the patient's respiration comprises a series of inhalations and exhalations and the control means controls the regulator means to permit the egress of the very short pulse of nitric acid towards the end of each inhalation. 
     
     
       22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the monitor detects air pressure changes in the patient's respiration.